David Niven

Lore & Background

James David Graham Niven was born on 1 March 1910 at Belgrave Mansions, Grosvenor Gardens, London, to William Edward Graham Niven and Henrietta Julia Niven. He was named David after his birth on St David’s Day. His father, of Scottish descent, was killed in the First World War during the Gallipoli campaign. His mother later remarried Conservative politician Sir Thomas Walter Comyn-Platt, whom Niven and his sister Grizel loathed. Niven attended Heatherdown Preparatory School and Stowe School before entering the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. He was then commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Highland Light Infantry. Bored with peacetime service, he resigned his commission in 1933, moved to New York, and then to Hollywood. He began acting with small parts, including a non-speaking role in *Mutiny on the Bounty* (1935), which led to a contract with Samuel Goldwyn. By 1938, he was a leading man in films such as *Wuthering Heights* (1939). Upon the outbreak of the Second World War, he returned to Britain, rejoined the army as a lieutenant, and co-starred in the morale-building film *The First of the Few* (1942). Niven was known as a handsome and debonair leading man. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in *Separate Tables* (1958), a performance that holds the record for the shortest winning performance in that category at 23 minutes and 39 seconds. His other notable films include *A Matter of Life and Death* (1946), *Around the World in 80 Days* (1956), *The Guns of Navarone* (1961), *The Pink Panther* (1963), and *Death on the Nile* (1978). He also played James Bond in *Casino Royale* (1967).

Reader's Guide

Niven’s career was marked by a blend of military service and acting. After attending Sandhurst, he was commissioned in the Highland Light Infantry but resigned in 1933 to pursue acting, beginning with an extra role in the British film *There Goes the Bride* (1932). He moved to Hollywood, where small parts—including a non-speaking role in *Mutiny on the Bounty* (1935)—led to a contract with Samuel Goldwyn. He gained prominence through supporting roles in *Dodsworth* (1936), *The Charge of the Light Brigade* (1936), and *The Prisoner of Zenda* (1937), and by 1938 was a leading man in films such as *Wuthering Heights* (1939). With the outbreak of the Second World War, he returned to Britain and rejoined the army as a lieutenant, later co-starring in the morale-building film *The First of the Few* (1942) about the Spitfire’s development. His performance in *Separate Tables* (1958) earned him the Academy Award for Best Actor, a record for the shortest winning performance in that category at 23 minutes and 39 seconds. Beyond acting, Niven was a memoirist and novelist, known for his debonair screen persona and as a raconteur. His filmography spans classics such as *A Matter of Life and Death* (1946), *The Bishop’s Wife* (1947), *Around the World in 80 Days* (1956), *The Guns of Navarone* (1961), *Murder by Death* (1976), and *Death on the Nile* (1978). He also earned acclaim and notoriety for playing Sir Charles Lytton in *The Pink Panther* (1963) and James Bond in *Casino Royale* (1967).

Did You Know?

• Niven was born in central London, not Kirriemuir, Scotland, as he sometimes claimed.
• He was recommissioned as a lieutenant upon rejoining the army in World War II.
• His father was killed in the First World War during the Gallipoli campaign.

Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)

"Can you imagine being wonderfully over-paid for dressing up and playing games?" — David Niven "Going to war was the only unselfish thing I have ever done for humanity." — David Niven "Keep the circus going inside you, keep it going, don't take anything too seriously, it'll all work out in the end." — David Niven "Isn't it fascinating that probably the only laugh this man will ever get in his life is by stripping off his clothes and showing his shortcomings." — David Niven